Independent Home Security Advice and Service

I'm Russ, the Alarm Professor, and am sharing my 45+ years of experience in the home security industry. I've serviced new and old alarm systems, built alarm companies, consulted for alarm products, and have seen how the alarm industry works.

I'm here to tell you that you don't need to listen to the big alarm companies. You don't need to install brand new systems to fix your existing system. You don't need to sign multi-year contracts paying over $40 a month for services that cost a fraction of that to provide. And you don't need to pay exorbitant fees to install a quality home security solution.

Through this site, informative videos, and our own specially chosen and independent alarm products and services, you'll discover the ins and outs of securing your home and monitoring your alarm system.

We can convert your existing system!

The Alarm Shop

Alarm system monitoring is BIG business. Many companies, and almost all the national alarm companies, will not sell, install or service an alarm system unless it is accompanied by a long term monitoring contract. When you see that companies are charging $35 - $70 per month to provide a service that is costing them $5 or less per month to provide, you begin to understand.

Brinks, Protection One and ADT are owned by hedge funds. Their primary focus is to increase the number of accounts that they monitor and thus their recurring revenue.

How much money does ADT, and subsequently each of their customers, spend to be prominently displayed at every televised sporting event?

How much does Protection One spend to sponsor NASCAR racing? How do these activities serve to increase your protection? Why do these companies spend millions of dollars (your monitoring dollars) to promote themselves?

How much does an alarm system cost? (Or more correctly, what is the monetary value of an alarm system)

It depends on who you talk to and how much protection that you want. The only way to know for sure is to ask for the price of an installed system (where you own the equipment) that does not include monitoring. The price is definitely reduced when you commit to a 3 or 5 year monitoring agreement. The price is reduced because a portion of that monitoring fee is subsidizing the initial cost of the system. But does the monitoring price get reduced after the initial 3 or 5 years when you have fully paid for the alarm system?

As more and more police departments charge the customer for police response, is monitoring really desired? If you do have monitoring, it is best to have it an open contract that can be canceled when you no longer need or require the service. More and more alarm users are returning to smaller local companies to meet their alarm security needs. Lower prices, due to reduced overhead, and direct contact with company owners leads to an enhanced feeling of security, quicker and more competent alarm technicians, and greatly reduced prices.

I have included a number of articles and links on this website that will help you to better understand the alarm industry. For a comprehensive look at alarm systems and alarm companies "click" on Alarm Overview.

This website was designed to help educate you about alarm systems. Any feedback or additional information I have left out would be greatly appreciated.

I live in Seattle, WA, on Queen Anne Hill, and I install, service and give system evaluations thoughout NW Washington. Please feel free to call, e-mail or click HERE for a no obligation site survey or system evaluation.

For the smallest wireless alarm sensors that virtually disappear in window and door frames, you'll find them in the Alarm Shop. I both consulted in their development, am a national technical rep, and have installed hundreds of them myself.